STUNNING PS5 graphics seen last week won’t be better than the same visuals on an Xbox Series X, Fortnite’s creator has revealed.
It squashes fears that the PS5 may have been chosen for the demo because it was a more capable console.
Textures are incredibly detailed – and draw distances are huge
But Epic Games – and Microsoft – say the Xbox Series X will be just as capable of rendering next-gen Unreal Engine 5 graphics.
Last week, Fortnite game studio Epic Games showed off a “first look” clip of PS5 graphics.
The real-time video demo revealed how game makers are getting much closer to “photorealistic” graphics.
The demo shows incredible dynamic lighting effects, and a new “nanite” geometry system for stunning textures.
Dynamic lighting on the PS5 looks extremely sophisticated
Now Fortnite creator Tim Sweeney has revealed that both the PS5 and Xbox Series X will be able to run Unreal Engine 5 to the demo’s standard.
“The Unreal Engine 5 demo on PlayStation 5 was the culmination of years of discussions between Sony and Epic on future graphics and storage architectures,” Sweeney explained on Twitter.
“The Nanite and Lumen tech powering it will be fully supported on both PS5 and Xbox Series X and will be a awesome on both.”
Unreal Engine is a longstanding “game engine” made by Epic Games, first used for the 1998 shooter Unreal.
We’re expecting the new Unreal Engine 5 to be officially released next year, making it easy for developers to create visually stunning games for the new generation of consoles.
This engine will work across lots of platforms, including Xbox, PC and even iPhone – but this demo is specific to the PS5.
Epic Games says it’s another step closer to “photorealism”
Microsoft confirmed that the PS5 demo is representative of what we can expect from the Xbox Series X too.
“The fidelity seen in the Unreal Engine 5 tech demo is something that people can expect for next-gen gaming across devices,” a Microsoft spokesperson said.
“Developers around the world – including the majority of our 15 Xbox Game Studios – are using Unreal Engine to build their future projects.
“We look forward to partnering with Epic and working closely with Unreal 5 across our development teams when it releases in 2021.”
There are some caveats, of course.
Not all games launching on the PS5 and Xbox Series X will look as good as the demo. In fact, many won’t.
And we probably won’t see the very best graphics until quite late in the two consoles’ lifecycles – as developers learn how to get the most out of their hardware.
But it’s a great sign that both the PS5 and Xbox Series X will be seriously powerful – offering far better visuals than the PS4 and Xbox One.
In other news, the Xbox Series X will be significantly cheaper than the PS5according to expert insiders.
You can check your Xbox addiction over the past 10 years with the new ‘My Decade on Xbox’ tool.
And take a look at this incredible Xbox Project Oris concept console.
What do you think of these Unreal Engine 5 graphics? Let us know in the comments!
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